DHS: cyberattacks on infrastructure on the rise

Cyber attacks on critical industrial infrastructure are on the rise. And they are growing more sophisticated. Greg Schaffer, assistant secretary of Homeland Security, tells reporters the attacks are crafted carefully to hit certain types of control systems. NextGov reports, Homeland Security officials aren’t convinced the danger from the Stuxnet worm was gone away. Stuxnet, discovered earlier this year, was aimed at a particular brand of process controller used in nuclear facilities. Schaffer says the cyber ecosystem favors offense, not defense.

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Tom Temin is the host of The Federal Drive, which airs from 6-9 a.m. on 1500 AM in the Washington, DC region and online everywhere. Tom has 30 years experience in journalism, mostly in technology markets. Before coming to Federal News Radio, he was a long-serving editor-in-chief of Government Computer News and Washington Technology magazines.